Spring assembly and upholstery supporting mat therefor



L. A. YOUNG Oct. 28, 1941.

SPRING ASSEMBLY AND UPHOLSTERY SUPPORTING MAT THEREFOR Filed May 16, 1940 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 28, 1941 e I SPRING ASSEMBLY AND UPHOLSTERY SUPPORTING MAT THEREFOR Leonard A. Young, Detroit, Mich assignor to L. A. Young Spring & Wire Corporation, De-

troit, Mich.

Application May 1c, 1940, Serial No. 335,559

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in spring assembly and upholstery supporting mat therefor.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a spring assembly for mat tresses and other relatively large spring structures which includes an upholstery supporting that which is very eil'ective, fully protecting the upholstery and at the same time providing a structure which has the desired resiliency with durability.

Second, to provide a spring assembly or structure which is well adapted as a mattress filler.

Third, to provide a structure in which more or less localized load is distributedto a number of springs without objectionable stiflening 'of the structure.

Fourth, to provide a spring assembly suitable for mattresses which has the above advantages and at the same time may be rolled or folded.

Fifth, to provide an improved upholstery supporting mat for a body spring assembly.

Objects pertaining to details and economies of the invention will definitely appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims.

A structure which embodies the features of the invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a mattress being broken away to show structural details.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section on line 22 of Fig. 1 showing details of the upholstery supporting mat.

It will be understood that in the accompanycomprises a sheet of fabric 8 having reinforcing strands 9 of resilient wire rove therethrough. These strands are arranged in parallel relation and their ends are clamped around the flexible non-resilient tie members it. These tie members are preferably fibrous cords or strands and the reinforcing strands are clamped around the same so that these parts are fixedly secured together, and there is no slipping of the strands on the tie members. The ends of the strands are held in a relatively spaced relation. The reinforcing strands terminate in spaced relation to the edges of the sheets of fabric 8 providing edge fiaps ii and adjacent edge flaps are secured together throughout preferably by means of rows of stitching II. This provides the completed mat with fiexile and compensating zones between each series of reinforcing strands.

There are numerous advantages resulting from this arrangement.- If the strands were to extend the full length of the mattress there would be an undesirable creeping movement of the strands in the fabric when the pressure was placed upon the mattress, substantiallydepressing a portion thereof. With the sectional mat formed as described any such movement is minimized or reduced to such an extent that it is not objectionable, and there is a flexing and compensating zone between the adjacent mat units. This permits folding and bending of the mattress withembodying the features of my invention, parts out undue strain upon the reinforcing strands or movement thereof in the fabric. At the same time 'a substantially continuous reinforcement of the mat is provided so that the upholstery pad- 38 ding is very effectively supported and cannot sag ing drawing I have not attempted to show the parts in their relative proportions, and certain parts are conventionalized.

The embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a plurality of body springs l of the helically coiled type arranged in upright relation and in rows, the top coils of the springs of adjacent rows being connected by the helical tie members 2. The top coils of the outer or border springs are connected by the helical border members 3. The upholstery is conventionally illustrated at 4. I provide an upholstery supporting mat designated generally by the numeral 5 which is of such dimensions as to entirely cover 7 the spring assembly and is'secured to the border members 3 by means of clips 8.

This upholstery supporting mat comprises a plurality of mat units 1, there being five in the down between the springs.

It will be noted that the reinforcing strands are so spaced that a plurality of them extends across the top coil of each spring. Also, in this 40 preferred embodiment the helical tie members 2 for the springs are disposed in parallel relation to the strands so that the strands cannot work down between the springs. The fabric extends beyond the strands on all sides of the mat so that the clips 6 or other attaching means may be used to secure the mat.

Though I have illustrated my improvements in connection with a coiled spring assembly or unit,

it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the reinforced mat construction described above is readily adaptable for use with other types of springs. i. e., coiled, bowed, pocketed, or their equivalents.

While my improvements are especially valustructure illustrated in Fig.1. Each mat unit able in large spring units such as mattresses, they having a plurality of reinforcing strands of resiliare very desirable for use in the smaller spring units such as automobile cushion springs, furniture springs and the like.

I have illustrated and described my invention in embodiments which I have found very practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe certain other embodiments or adaptations which I contemplate as it is believed this disclosure. will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.,An upholstery supporting mat for spring structures comprising a plurality of connected mat}units, each mat unit comprising a sheet of fabric having a plurality of reinforcing strands of resilient wire rove therethrough in spaced parallel relation, and flexible tie members of fibrous material to which th ends of the reinforcing strands are fixedly secured with the .fabric extending beyond the tie members providing unreinforced edge flaps, said mat units being arranged in parallel relation and their adjacent flaps stitched together providing an uphostery supporting mat having substantially conedgei flaps, said mat units being arranged in parallel relation and their adjacent flaps secured together providing an upholstery supporting mat having substantially continuous reinforcement by the resilient wire strands with flexile zones between the ends of the reinforcing strands of the mat units.

3. An upholstery supporting mat for a spring assembly adapted to be disposed on a body spring unit, comprising a plurality of connected mat units, each mat unit comprising a sheet of fabric cut wire rove therethrough in spaced parallel relation, and flexible non-resilient tie members of fibrous material to which the ends of the reinforcing strands ar fixedly secured with the fabric extending beyond the tie members providing unreinforced edge flaps, said mat units being arranged in parallel relation with their ad- Jacent flaps secured together providing an upholstery supporting mat having substantially the reinforcing strands of the units, the reinforcing strands being so spaced that a plurality of the strands are disposed in crossed relation to each of the springs of the first named unit.

4. In a spring assembly, an upholstery supporting mat adapted to be disposed on a body spring unit, comprising a sheet of fabric having a plurality of laterally spaced sets of reinforcin strands of resilient wire rove therethrough with the strands of each set in spaced parallel relation, and flexible non-resilient tie members to which the ends of the reinforcing strands of the respective sets are connected with the fabric of said sheet extending between the adiacent sets and unreinforced by strands at said zones, thereby providing an upholstery supporting mat having substantially continuous reinforcement by the resilient reinforcing strands with fiexile zones between the ends of the reinforcing strands of adjacent sets, the mat being arranged with its reinforcing strands in transverse relation to said spring unit.

5. In a spring assembly, an upholstery suptending between said spaced sets and providing an upholstery supporting mat having substantially continuous reinforcement by the resilient reinforcing strands with flexile' zones between theends of the reinforcingstrands of adjacent sets, the mat being arranged with its reinforcing strands in transverse relation to said spring unit.

LEONARD A. YOUNG. 

